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I don’t think we can tell you what you should do. Prices are only one thing. It really boils down to how much you both want to do the swap.

MIJ Strats are very well made guitars - I have one and it’s a lovely guitar!
Dave

Hi Richard,
I have had the MIJ 'Marvin' Strat since the '90s from new, & am very pleased with the quality of it. The only criticism I have is that my copy is rather on the heavy side & the neck is so chunky & fat that it probably doesn't represent what Hank had in his '59 original. I added the gold hardware, & some Fender CS 54 pickups, & it sounds good & does the job very well. It cost me £375 at the time.
I also have a Mexican made Classic series '56 Strat special edition inc. a Tweed hardcase, that is also a great quality guitar, but cost quite a bit more (about £738), but that's Fender price inflation over time. This one already has the Gold hardware installed, & is also a great guitar, as the Mex guitars all are.

I am very happy with both of my guitars & would not sell either of them.

Tony.

Yes, that Mex model was heavily advertised by Guitar Guitar some months back. The Guitar Guitar price was £699. It looks & sounds a quality instrument, as you can hear, & I would guess it's probably worth the shop price. It came with a C neck profile & Fender Custom Shop Fat 50s pickups, which I have in my USA Standard Strat, & they are fine.
Link :
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/ ... ed-edition

Tony.

I briefly had one of those Strat when they were released,they were a 'special run' and came with a tweed case.
I got it from Gear4Music because there's a return option should you change your mind.
It a is a good guitar and the reason I returned it was simply that I already had three red Strats and it didn't add to what I already had at my disposal. That said, had I not had my existing guitars I would have kept it.
It has the 57/62 pickups which I use on other Strats - recommended. It was also a good guitar to play and at the price a good deal.
Would I have swapped it for my CIJ '62 fiesta red Strat ? I have to sit on the fence because mine is almost as good as my USA AVRI and I like it a lot, though in 2004 I paid £375 for the CIJ.

I think wires have been crossed a little on this issue.
The guitar Dave is talking about was released as a Fender special run in 2016, I think, and was available from most UK dealers. It had the USA vintage pickups, gold fittings and came with a tweed case. It cost around £740 if I recall.
The GuitarGuitar red strat with the Fat 50s pickups is special run made for themselves. There is also a black strat with maple board. Both are £699 but do not come with a tweed case. The easiest way to tell them apart is the 2016 model has vintage style tuners whereas the GG red/back strats have the modern style of two pin tuners. They are all good guitars.

I was indeed speaking of the FSR and genuinely believed it was the same instrument. However I can now see that it may not be so my comments need to be taken with caution.
I do apologise if this has caused confusion but each of these guitars though having different but equally good pickups will surely have their merits.

I once owned a '96 MIJ HankStrat, and was dismayed to discover it contained a set of ceramic pickups. So unless someone's changed them, that's what you've got.

I currently use a MIM Classic 60's with a set of 57/62s fitted and think it's perfect. Although the steel sustain block and heavy strings may have something to do with that too.

(I can't pretend it's my virtuosity ...)

If those pickups are indeed as described by Steve then they could be the problem, though I find it strange that a Japanese Strat would be fitted with inferior pickups. I must have led a sheltered life.

Hi,
I bought one of the Fender FSR (Fender Special Run) "special edition" Mexican Classic 50s gold hardware,
They were release in late 2017
The stock Pickups are fender 56s.
Its a good all round guitar.
Carl.